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Social Work

Ninety-eight percent of Gannon social work graduates apply and
are accepted into graduate schools of social work, many of them top ten
schools. In the past five years, graduates have been accepted to
Columbia University, Case Western Reserve University’s Mandel School of
Applied Social Science, the University of Pittsburgh School of Social
Work, University of Michigan School of Social Work, New York University
Silver School of Social Work and the University of Geneva.

Students who graduate with a 3.0 GPA in the social work
concentration can achieve advance standing upon acceptance into a
graduate school of social work. Most students can earn their graduate
degree in 12-18 months.

Social work students have the opportunity each year to apply for and acquire paid internships.

The Social Work Club hosts one of the largest single-day
Christmas celebrations for the underserved and homeless residents of
Erie, serving a hot Christmas dinner to 500-600 guests, while also
providing gifts for children and clothing for individuals and families.

You Will Learn

The practice of professional social work requires an array of skills and
knowledge that permits one to help individuals with personal or family
issues, organize and empower community groups and affect local, state
and federal policy. Students in our program, which is accredited by the
Council on Social Work Education, are prepared to work competently in
multicultural systems, to assess and evaluate organizations and
communities and to conceptualize the interdependence and
interrelationship of our global community. Students are encouraged to
become community leaders, to passionately pursue excellence in the
allocation and provision of needed services and to diligently and
deliberately become advocates for the disadvantaged and clients in their
ecologies.

You Will Experience

Field education has been designated by the Council on Social Work
Education as the signature pedagogy within undergraduate social work
curricula. Gannon’s urban location facilitates internship opportunities
with a variety of health and human services agencies, many of them
within walking distance of campus. A growing number of our field
education sites now offer paid internships. Internships are available
for social work students at the following locations:

Erie Community Correction Center

Erie County Office of Children & Youth

Erie County Office of Mental Health & Intellectual Disabilities

Erie Family Center for Child Development

Erie School District

Gaudenzia Erie

L’Arche

local government

Martin Luther King Center

Mental Health Association of NW PA

Shriner’s Hospital for Children

United Way of Erie County

UPMC Hamot

YMCA

You Will Achieve

The social work program provides a solid foundation of knowledge,
skills and critical thinking that prepares our graduates to work in
various career areas. Such opportunities include, but are not limited
to, the following:

child and family development organizations

child welfare organizations

criminal justice

forensic social work

geriatric social work

international social work

medical and public health

mental health organizations

neighborhood revitalization and sustainability initiatives

organizations for the developmentally disabled

rehabilitation and recovery from alcohol and other drugs

school-based social work

substance abuse intervention

You will Study

The social work program directs special attention toward preparing students to engage in international social work practice and policy, and to conceptualize the interrelationship and interdependence of our global community. Social work majors take various core and elective courses including:

SCWK 230: Human Diversity

In this course, students participate in a homeless simulation in downtown Erie. Dressed as homeless individuals, students develop increased empathy as they gain a firsthand experience with homelessness and pauperism.

SCWK 362: Generalist Practice with Families/Groups

In this course, students work directly in classroom settings with clients who are HIV-positive, identified substance abusers and parents with troubled adolescents or children with developmental disabilities.

SCWK 364: Social Welfare Policy, Programs and Issues

This course includes visits from guest lecturers, including the mayor of the City of Erie, state senators, the county executive of Erie County, Pa., members of Erie City and County Councils, the director of United Way of Erie County and local executives of for-profit and nonprofit agencies.

Liberal Studies Core

The Liberal Studies Core Curriculum is one reflection of Gannon University's commitment to
its Catholic identity. The Core's design offers students a defined, integrated, shared
experience as the foundation for their undergraduate program.

You Will Earn

Salaries in the field vary depending on the location and type of organization.